Do you find the thought of planning social media content overwhelming? Or feel stuck in a content creation rut? In this article, Dan Ince from BrandWorks Social shares why you need to be creating regular content for your business and how you can do it more easily!
WHY IS CONTENT CREATION SO IMPORTANT?
Social media has become a vital tool for businesses to connect and engage with their audience.
With over 66% of the UK population actively using social platforms, your ability to reach and engage potential customers has never been greater. Whether you're targeting professional business users on platforms like LinkedIn; or targeting consumers via Instagram, Facebook or TikTok, social media provides an unparalleled opportunity to build visibility for your business.
However, the ease of reaching people also means there's a lot of noise to cut through. Research shows our average attention span when scrolling is only 8 seconds, allegedly shorter than that of a goldfish! So to make an impact, your content needs to be aligned with your target customers’ needs, delivered consistently, and shared regularly. While this may sound challenging, it’s much easier if you apply some structure to your content planning process.
STRUCTURE FOR SUCCESS BY DEVELOPING CONTENT PILLARS
To make content creation less frustrating, easier and more consistent, identify 3-5 content pillars for your activity. These pillars are simply themes that resonate with your audience which you can use to guide you in creation of content that educates, entertains, informs, or inspires them.
SOME EASY IDEAS TO BRING YOUR CONTENT TO LIFE
Use and repurpose existing content: Don't feel like you must reinvent the wheel with every piece of content. Look back at previous content, blog posts, or customer testimonials, and find ways to repurpose them for social media. Can you turn a blog post into a series of engaging social media graphics?
Share what you're up to: People love to know what's happening behind the scenes in businesses. Can you take them on a journey by sharing your work process, product development, or company culture? Can you showcase your team's efforts and the passion behind your brand to create a personal connection with your audience?
Curate useful content: You don't have to create everything from scratch. Curating content from trusted sources that align with your audience's interests and needs provides real value. Sharing industry news, relevant articles, or helpful tips not only informs your audience, but also positions you as a knowledgeable expert within your field.
Share reviews: Don’t be afraid to share what existing customers say about you. Positive customer reviews are a goldmine for social media content. Highlighting customer experiences and success stories not only builds trust by providing social proof, but they also provide valuable insight into who you work with and how you operate. Encourage customers to share feedback with you regularly and use their testimonials creatively in your posts.
Listen to your audience: Social media is a two-way street. Engage with your audience by actively listening and responding to feedback, comments, and questions. Do you find you’re asked the same questions again and again? Can you use this input to shape future content?
CREATE A CONTENT FOLDER AND MAKE IT A MONTHLY HABIT
To make content planning less overwhelming or sporadic, consider creating a ‘content’ folder where you collect ideas, inspiration, and examples that resonate with your brand and audience. This folder can include screenshots of posts you find engaging, articles or videos that inspire you, or even snippets of conversations that spark ideas. Set aside dedicated time each month to plan, create, and schedule your content based on your content pillars and the ideas in your folder. Like most things, by forming a habit of doing this it will become less of an uphill struggle.
CREATING CONTENT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE FRUSTRATING
By understanding the need for social media marketing and adopting a structured yet simple approach to content planning, you can unlock the power of creating engaging content more easily to cut through the noise, captivate your audience, and drive meaningful results for your business.
If you need support with your social media marketing visit brandworkssocial.co.uk
